


Break-In

by TribalVipe



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Blood and Violence, Breaking and Entering, F/M, Hostage Situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-10-23 18:26:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10724760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribalVipe/pseuds/TribalVipe
Summary: "Rafael felt the sudden drop like a hammer in his stomach, the hair on his arm standing up on end."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So instead of working on the fics I already have going, I start a new one? Sure. This will be a short fic. I got the idea from a movie I was watching while avoiding doing homework.

" _But Liv…it's macaroni night…"_

Liv bit her lip to keep from chuckling at her husband's pouty tone coming through the speaker of her office phone. Outside in the squad room, Carisi stifled a laugh with Fin, having overheard the ADA through the open door. She sent them both a withering look over the burning desk lamp.

He would have been pissed if he found out anyone other than her had heard him. He was funny about his personal life, not wanting anyone other than his closest family and friends to know the little details about him and the life he lived outside of work.

Since that basically boiled down to her and his mother and Noah, and the fact that he didn't have many close friends anymore, it wasn't hard to do so. Liv picked up the receiver and rested it against her shoulder and ear as she opened an incoming e-mail message with the phone records she requested just an hour earlier. There was an all-out manhunt going down in the city tonight, one SVU would be heading since their suspect, out on bail, decided to go on a spree in the city.

She had been itching to nail this guy for the past two weeks and now that he'd tried running for it, she ordered the city on lockdown and was in the middle of organizing six different departments and well over 400 officers. There was no way this guy was going to make it out of the city…not on her watch.

Unfortunately, that meant she had to miss macaroni night and spending an evening with her stressed out husband. She'd made plans just two nights before, deciding they needed a weekend to themselves before the trial would start. That more than likely meant working and building their case all day, but at least they would be in their pajamas, cuddled up on the couch while and drinking coffee.

Now, those plans were shot and they'd more than likely have to appear Monday morning in court.

"I'm sorry, hon," she truly did feel sad and distraught over missing something as simple as macaroni night. Every opportunity she had to spend with her little family made, she would take. Even if she saw her son every morning before pre-school and every night before bed time, it still wasn't enough in her book. The same went for her husband, because even if they worked closely with each other, professional lives were separated from personal ones.

" _It's alright. We'll have plenty of other macaroni nights. That is, of course, if you don't do anything stupid on this manhunt across the city. Did I mention that I hate your job sometimes?"_

Liv opened her mouth to defend the career she had, but she knew he was half-heartedly joking. When they first met, she knew he thought of her job as nothing more than placating victims and annoying him until he got her what she wanted. As their relationship progressed, he saw the gritty and surreal things she dealt with on a daily basis, and a respect between them formed.

When they started dating, suddenly, he started to see what her career was really like. He was privy to hard moments, shared between them or just things she experienced on her own, and he was always the shoulder to lean. He became so protective, having witnessed her battered and bruised and wasn't afraid to argue with her when she ended up doing something stupid that could have gotten her killed.

He respected her job and what she had to do, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"I promise to make it back in one piece. You'll need me for when we have to track down a judge tomorrow morning and rush him into trial."

He laughed, agreeing with her _, "The majority of them definitely like you more than me, that's for sure."_

"Yeah, right," she scoffed, "They were lawyers before they were judges and lawyers tend not to agree with me."

" _I better not be included in that list,"_ he said with the same warning tone he used in the office. It was meant to be intimidating, but to her, it only served to make her shiver. Another thing they planned to do during their weekend off involved them being locked in a bedroom and Noah being shipped off to Lucia's for a sleepover.

"Mmm, well you are probably one of the only lawyer's that handle me."

" _In more ways than one."_

Liv closed her eyes, desperately wishing she was going home instead of sitting at her desk, waiting for six department Captains to show up in her squad room. She was really, _really_ , going to nail this guy and make him pay. She couldn't wait to cuff him.

"Alright, enough of that. I have a huge mission to be planning right about now and you're distracting."

She could practically hear the smile on his face along with the banging of pots and pans in the background. It was nearing seven now, a little later than she would have preferred Noah eating, but it was what it was. Everyone's night had been derailed, it seemed.

" _I'll let you go, then. I'm on daddy duty anyhow."_

"Daddy duty, huh?"

" _I hate how good that sounds coming out of your mouth."_

Liv barked out a laugh, garnering the attention of the detectives sitting crowded around Amanda's computer and she turned around in her chair, facing towards the window displaying the darkened city.

"Don't give me any ideas now, Rafi," she lowered her voice, knowing what it did to him when she talked to him like that. She was getting treading into dangerous territory and she knew it, but she enjoyed getting him going, even if she couldn't do anything to alleviate the problem he was going to have.

" _Ok, now I really have to let you go because this isn't doing either of us any good."_

She giggled, "I'll try and make it out before midnight, but I'll be lucky if that happens," she turned back around to face her closed door and windowed office. She sighed a little, hoping that she would be able to make it home before then, but she knew it couldn't be promised.

" _I know. Don't work yourself to death, though. It's not on you what happened,"_ he said reassuringly. She could hear Noah yelling for him in the background and she smiled, her heart always doing a little flip when the two interacted, even three years later.

"I know. I'll let you go. You're on the job, Daddy," she giggled at the low growl he sent her.

" _Call me Daddy again and you'll be in for a treat when you get home,"_ he whispered through the phone, letting her know he was either seriously turned on or their son was within earshot. Liv felt a spark of arousal and quickly shot that idea clear out of the sky.

She had work to do and she needed a clear head to get through the night ahead of her.

"Mmm…don't tempt me," she warned, twisting a lock of hair around her finger. She peeked out into the squad room, noticing Fin, Amanda and Carisi all preoccupied by something or another and clearly not paying attention to her.

" _Don't work too hard,"_ he sighed, realizing it was probably time to let her get off the phone so he could get their rambunctious five-year-old fed, bathed and off to sleep the night away.

"I won't, baby," Liv said softly, not wanting to hang up and cursing the fact she was going to be stuck searching for this criminal all night.

" _I love you."_

"I love you, too."

Liv hung up the phone, feeling a little down at the prospect of having to get back to work and the possibility that she would be there past midnight, but it was important for her not to lose focus. She looked up to see a few incoming faces, more officers than usual milling around the squad room.

She quickly grabbed up her laptop and files she needed, heading out to the crowded squad room to begin.

* * *

It was half past 11 when he finally finished his notes and Rafael downed the last of his scotch. It was warm, having sat there as he delved deep into the work spread out on coffee table. He unloaded his brief case after Noah fell asleep, intending to get at least half of his overflowing workload done before the weekend was over. Unfortunately, as he switched to the nightly, local news, he caught the story of his wife's manhunt and the details from the connected murderous rampage their suspect had been on only hours before.

His eyes drifted back and forth from the work on his lap and the television screen, hoping to take his mind off the situation happening in the city and the fact that his wife was out there with her team, tracking down some psycho who was lucky enough to be bailed out of jail.

The search had only intensified the longer it went on. As of now, as he packed away his notes and files, news reports were flooding in from everywhere. Sightings being phoned in to the local television stations with reports of more than one suspect running amuck had the authorities urging people to stay inside.

It was truly turning into a shit show and Rafael felt the slow swirling in his stomach. It was a feeling he got right before something bad usually happened. Like, the death threats that slid across his desk a few years ago or last year, right before his wife was involved in a shoot-out and a bullet grazed her forehead.

Sometimes, he cursed that he fell in love with a woman who had such a dangerous job. It caused nights like this, where he wasn't going to get any sleep until she was in their bed, in his arms and fast asleep. But those curses were short lived and never held any truth to them. He loved his wife, no matter what, but that didn't mean he couldn't worry about her.

_Again, authorities are urging citizens to stay in a safe place tonight. If you come into contact with these suspects, do not approach them. Turn the other direction and contact police immediately…_

He shook his head and pulled his phone out of the pajama pants he wore, not seeing any missed calls or texts. Liv probably had her phone off and that's how he wanted it anyway. He didn't want her getting distracted while she was out in the field and vulnerable.

Still, he kind of wished for a text telling him that she was ok. He had faith that she was going to be alright and come home to him unscathed, but there was always that realistic possibility that whispered to him that maybe, this was the night she wouldn't.

"Daddy."

Rafael looked towards the staircase that lead to the upstairs of their brownstone, moving boxes and various law texts still loitered the steps since they hadn't quite finished moving in yet. Noah had his little hands curled around the wooden poles of the railing, eyes tired and blinking wearily.

"Yeah, buddy," he said softly, standing up and setting his briefcase behind the couch. Noah rubbed at one of his eyes and yawned before he said anything.

"I'm thirsty," he said, licking his lips to emphasize that point. Rafael just nodded and told him to go back to his bed, watching as he adorably tripped over a stair in his sleepy state and disappeared out of sight.

… _grizzly murders took place between 9:37 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. tonight. These murderers are still on the run as of right now and believed to still be in the city. Police are confirming that the original suspect has at least two others helping him. All are considered highly dangerous…_

Rafael moved through the kitchen, one ear on the television still playing the news, live on location just outside of the 16th precinct. He went about searching the cabinets, grumbling about Liv moving everything around on him so he could find a cup with a straw for Noah to sip from.

He eventually found them stacked in a near the fridge and filled it up with a couple of ice cubes and water straight from the fridge. The noise was loud, cutting through the current interview with one of the officers he'd seen around the lobby a few times on his recent visits. He didn't pay him much mind as he walked back through the living room and up the stairs.

He found Noah on his side, sleeping soundly again with his blankets kicked off and his feet hanging over the edge. Rafael moved quietly through his room, stubbing his toe on the edge of a heavy box and he cursed silently to himself. He made a mental note to get their son's room unpacked, at least.

Rafael placed the cup on the bedside table just in case he woke up again. He went about adjusting the boy comfortably back into the pillows and tucking him in with the stuffed dinosaur he slept with every single night.

"Daddy," Noah's slurred speech stopped Rafael's tucking in and he sat on the edge of the bed, Noah's eyes looking up at him, half-lidded and tired. Rafael smiled, running his hand through the boy's short hair and running comfortingly down the side of his little face.

"Go to sleep," he whispered, leaning down to kiss Noah's forehead. Noah nodded, blinking slowly a few times before he asked, "When is mommy coming home?"

Rafael held in his sigh and just stared down at the rapidly closing eyes of his son. He asked about his wife's whereabouts earlier, looking a little sad about the fact that she wasn't there to give him hugs and kisses like he was used to. Rafael had jokingly told him he felt the same, missing his wife's hugs and kisses just as much and that made the boy feel slightly better, but it didn't alleviate the want for her comfort.

"She'll be home soon. Now go back to sleep and when you wake up in the morning, we're all going to go out for breakfast."

"To McDonald's?"

Rafael laughed and leaned down, giving the boy another kiss on his head before he stood up, pulling the heavy quilt over the boy's body again and watching as he fell back into a deep sleep almost immediately.

He slipped out of the room, checking to make sure the night light was on and the blinds to his room were closed before he shut the door behind him. He briefly entertained the thought of trying to catch some shut eye as his eyes traveled over the spotless looking bedroom holding their comfortable bed. He was tired, but he wasn't going to be able to lie there and think about his wife still crawling the streets looking for that guy.

Rafael turned away from the bedroom but stopped at the sudden sound of a door opening and shuffling feet, then the door closing with a soft thud. He smiled, feeling relief flood his chest that his wife was safe and home now. All he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her and let go of the worry he'd been holding onto since the phone call that ended just a few hours ago.

He quickly walked down the steps, seeing the empty foyer but he could see the outline of her moving towards the darkened kitchen. She stopped as soon as her name fell from his lips.

"God, I'm glad your home. I was starting to really get worried, Liv."

Rafael rounded the corner of the stairs, socked feet sliding a bit across the hardwood floors as he walked up to the figure that stood in the dark in front of him. She was wearing bulkier clothes and he confused for a second when he saw that she was dripping wet, water falling and hitting the floor in soft splats. He stuttered in his movements when he stepped on some water.

"Liv? I didn't know it was raining."

He moved his feet and stepped to the side, not wanting to risk getting his feet anymore wet. He glanced behind him at the television and looked back towards Liv-

Rafael's head snapped back to the television, taking in the face of his wife speaking to the news anchor, her mouth moving rapidly and her eyes focused on the camera. She was retelling the same warning they'd been playing on the news all night. Her voice was filled with authority as the news anchor continued asking her important questions.

His green eyes only watched his wife's face for a moment before they were drawn up to the corner of the television screen where the word LIVE was flashing in red. Rafael felt the sudden drop like a hammer in his stomach, the hair's on his arm standing up on end. There was a rustling of fabric and shuffling feet behind him. The sound of heavy boots squeaking against the wet hard wood floors drew closer to him and he had the instinctive urge to run to Noah's room.

He had to get to Noah.

But he was frozen in place, eyes watching as his wife left the interview and the camera focused back in on the news anchor still reporting from the scene.

"Liv," he breathed out, his words sounding weak as he called to his wife to help him. He stood paralyzed as a cold barrel of a gun pressed against the warm skin of his neck and felt water droplets from the metal slip down into the collar of his plain shirt, absorbed by the fabric. The next words he heard were uttered and foreign to his ears. He did his best to stay still as warm breath hit his left ear and his entire world came to a stop in that moment.

"My name isn't Liv."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm kind of shocked you all don't hate me yet with all of the crap I put Barba through. Except you might hate me now...maybe. Anyway, here is the second installment. Enjoy!

"Who was it?"

Carisi jogged up to her as she exited the interview, taking swift strides towards Fin, who was jotting something down on a notepad as Amanda spoke on the phone, relaying information to him. They stood near the black SUV they'd been using to move from crime scene to crime scene. This fucker was starting to piss her off.

"Trevor's ex-wife. The one who turned him in to begin with. Same M.O."

Liv shook her head, feeling the weight of yet another fallen victim. That would make it the fourth person this night to be murdered in cold blood. It would also be the fourth person to have had contact with Trevor before he made bail. She didn't need to go into the house they stood out in front of to see for herself. He'd been doing this all night to them.

"So that makes his ex-wife, his former parole officer, the arresting officer when he was first brought in and his neighbor who called 911 that night. He's killing everyone who's tried to bring him down."

"Wouldn't that include us?"

Liv didn't answer and just continued walking, the thought entering her mind no matter how bad she tried to squash it. There was an undeniable pattern rapidly unfolding in front of them that couldn't be ignored, but the thought that Trevor would try anything on them while they were chasing after them was dumb. Unless he was suicidal, in which case it was a possibility.

Carisi didn't repeat himself or seek an answer, probably realizing she was in no mood to stop and talk about anything other than catching this guy. He'd killed innocent people, including brother officers and that was enough for her to unleash all her pent-up aggression on. She honestly prayed she wasn't the one to take him down.

"Please tell me that phone call was good news."

Amanda shook her head, sliding her phone back into her jacket pocket and pushed her bangs back behind her ears. Fin rubbed at his eyes, feeling tired just like they all did. They'd been going for almost four hours and that look he was giving her didn't allude to stopping anytime soon.

"Got another victim…," he trailed, sharing a glance with Amanda. Liv demanded the name, moving past them and already opening the back-passenger door. She couldn't keep that she was practically seething hidden as she all but glared at her officers.

"Victoria Maddox," he rattled out, double checking his notes. Liv rounded, surprised at the name that fell from her Sergeant's mouth. She locked eyes with him on the darkened residential street where they stood, asking him to repeat what he just said.

"Maddox is his defense attorney," she reminded and Amanda nodded, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yeah, and we have one of her neighbors who saw him and his accomplices flee out of the back door and into the trees behind her home."

Liv waved them all into the SUV, Carisi sliding into the driver's seat as Amanda quickly input the address into the GPS. When the electronic voice chimed, reciting the address back to them, Liv's breath caught in her throat, drawing everyone's attention.

There was a sudden panic that feel over her body, her heart almost seizing in her chest as she reached for her phone that had been turned off the entire night.

"You ok?"

She looked over at Fin, seeing him looking at her with a concern she normally didn't see from him. Carisi had already started driving, but half of his attention was focused on her and the strangled noise that escaped from her.

"That's two blocks from my home," she finally said after a moment, watching as her phone turned on and took her to the lock screen featuring her smiling husband and son. Liv sat paralyzed, fingers hovering over the keypad as she stared at their faces, feeling a distant ache in her heart that she'd certainly felt before, but never towards them.

Too many times had she experienced that sinking feeling in her stomach, like she knew something terrible had happened. She felt it many times throughout her career, especially with Mike's death which was a few years old but still fresh in hers and everyone's minds. It was something she attributed to the years of field work she had under her belt. It was like a sixth sense developed from experience alone.

She felt it earlier that evening before they left the precinct.

However, she hadn't ever feel it towards the two loves of her life staring back at her on her phone screen, except for the short-lived death threats her husband had experienced back when their relationship was still mending itself after the Tucker debacle, before they were ever together.

"Are you sure?"

The question tore her eyes away from her phone screen, which had gone black again, and she took in the questioning glance from Amanda, who was turned around the best she could in the passenger seat. Liv could just barely hear her over the sirens blaring across the dash board as Carisi sped down the residential streets, headed towards the more populated parts of the city.

"Yeah. Yeah, we've seen her in the mornings walking her dog. She lives just two blocks away from my house…"

Liv hit the home screen and typed in her passcode quickly, hands starting shake a bit as she hit the speed dial. It rang a few times, anxiety seeping into her bones as it went to an automated voice mail system. She cursed and hit the end button calling him back a few more times before she gave up and typed out a text, fingers flying over the keyboard.

"Could he be asleep?"

Liv shook her head, "No. He usually doesn't until I call him or get home."

"Maybe he's working," Carisi supplied, swerving in and out of the traffic plaguing the streets. The closer they got to the busy city, the thicker the traffic was getting. The anxiety was only going to get worse the slower the car went.

"He's not working. There's no reason he wouldn't answer his phone. He ALWAYS answers when I call."

Liv dialed him again, ready to cry when it went straight to voice mail again. Fin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "How about we call dispatch, get a unit out there to check on him. I'm sure everything's fine, Liv."

She nodded, bowing her head and discreetly wiping away a stray tear that fell down her cheek. She was right about him always picking up when she called, even if they didn't think she was being truthful. She never had trouble contacting him. Never.

She listened as Fin did it for her, reciting her address into his own phone. Liv bit her lip, clutching her phone and praying that it would start to ring at any moment. All she wanted in that moment was to see his contact picture and his name vibrating away on her phone.

"They're on their way."

"Ok."

_Wouldn't that include us?_

Carisi's ignored statement from earlier echoed in her head and the terrifying truth she didn't want to admit. What were the chances of Trevor and these other men running with him knew where she lived? Anxiety expanded in her chest at the thought of her husband and son being in harm's way

The car came to a complete stop at a busy intersection, Carisi unable to slide his way out of the traffic jam they found themselves stuck in. Liv sighed and leaned her forehead into her palm, closing her eyes and waiting to feel the vibrating of her phone in her hand.

* * *

 Rafael's body was tense as he sat on the couch, hands balled into fists and staring at his phone lighting up with his wife's smiling face on the coffee table. He was desperate to reach out an answer it, because this was the fifth time she'd called and he knew she was worrying. She had to be.

"Calling again?"

Trevor, the man he was able to throw in jail to be detained (and who made bail the same fucking day) a little less than 48 hours ago, continued to dry his hair off with a towel taken from the downstairs bathroom while the two other men who were with him did the same. The gun that had been pointing at his neck just ten minutes before sat next to his phone as it finally faded to black, the light flashing to indicate a missed call.

"She always blow up your phone like that?"

He didn't answer. He didn't even look at the man for fear of saying something stupid that would get him into trouble. The only thing he could focus on was the fact that his little boy was just a staircase away from very dangerous people. Rafael silently willed him to stay asleep, hoping Trevor or these other two men wouldn't do anything to wake him up.

"C'mon, you wouldn't shut up at my arraignment and now you have nothing to say?"

He could hear a snicker from behind him before Trevor threw the towel on the ground with a wet thump. The others piled their towels on top of his own, talking amongst themselves as the news report continued to play on the television. They were live again, giving different facts about a new murder that had just come in over the radio while replaying the warning at the bottom of the screen.

"We're famous," a deep voice from behind him sent a chill down his spine. He did his best to keep his body from shaking, not wanting to allude that he was extremely terrified at that moment.

"Yeah, and we need to kill this fucker and get the hell out of here," another higher-pitched voice said the words casually and Rafael wanted to turn so he could see their faces.

"Don't tell me what to do," Trevor growled in warning as he maneuvered past Rafael and sat heavily down beside him. He sighed as his eyes fell on the news report, still going live as the reporter was speaking directly to the camera. Rafael kept his eyes trained on the black phone screen, willing it to ring again.

"Man, I still got pond water in my ear," one of the men rounded the couch and Rafael looked up, noticing almost immediately from the arraignment hearing. Mark, or something like that. He was the guy that was hurling nasty insults at the judge and had been thrown out almost immediately after they began. Rafael remembered him causing a ruckus out on the courthouse steps, but the police shoved him off and sent him on his way.

"You're the genius who suggested it so shut the fuck up complaining about it."

The faceless voice assaulted his ears and Rafael flinched, not realizing the third invader had been standing so damn close to him. His already tense body tensed even further as he could feel water flicking and hitting the back of his head, accompanying the rustle of fabric.

"Hear the sirens?"

"Yeah, they're headed this way," Mark stalked to the door and looked through the small window for a few seconds. He stood on his tip-toes, one hand poised on the large hunting knife strapped to his waist as his head turned back and forth.

"Ya know, I gotta give props to your wife, pal," Trevor bumped Rafael with his shoulder and Rafael glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before he went back to staring at the black phone screen in front of him, "She's a tough bitch."

He felt a small swell of pride at the exasperated expression on Trevor's face as well as the verbal agreements coming from his two friends. His wife was tough and he was glad they fucking knew it. When she found out (through some divine intervention he hoped) that they were in her home, putting her son in danger…it was going to take every officer in the city to keep her from killing them.

The man behind him leaned over his shoulder, shoving his face in the place that separated him and Trevor and Rafael reeled back, not readily recognizing his face. He smiled with dirty teeth, his goatee dripping water onto the leather couch they sat on.

"She like that in bed?"

Trevor hissed and pushed the man away, making eye contact with Rafael once more and this time maintaining it through an unusually long silence. The only sounds in the apartment came from the television still detailing the events of the crime spree. His blood was boiling under his skin, his fear quickly turning to anger at the entire situation.

Anger at them. Anger, mostly at himself.

He hadn't locked the front door earlier. He stepped out to check their mailbox after Liv sent him a text earlier asking him to and he didn't lock it when he went back inside. The one time he forgets and something like this happens. He may have just killed himself and…

God, he hoped Noah remained asleep. It seemed like the five-year-old was going through an odd phase, waking up at all hours of the night and winding up in their bed or sleeping on the couch in the living room. Sometimes, he asked for water just like he had earlier or simply wanted to feel either his or Liv's presence as he fell back asleep.

He'd slowly started to grow out of it and was starting to sleep through the entire night now. But he still did it and the thought that he could potentially wake up again and walk down the stairs into this was panicking him.

Trevor was a serial rapist and, now, murderer. He had no doubt in his mind just what kind of acts he and his gang had committed before when he was free and tonight, while he was on the run…but he hoped the man had enough of a heart in him to leave his boy out of it. Hopefully, they wouldn't find out about it at all. He just needed to find a way to contact the police or, better yet, his wife.

Trevor continued to stare at him, eyes tracing the features of his face uncomfortably until Rafael broke eye contact at the sound of a banging on his door. Mark, who'd been leaning against it, jumped and backed away, eyes seeking out Trevor and the nameless partner who looked startled as well.

"Who is it," Trevor whispered, grabbing the gun from the coffee table but staying in the same position next to Rafael. Mark shrugged his shoulders, gesturing wildly towards the door with his blade. Nameless moved swiftly from around the couch, coming into full view as he nodded at Trevor.

"Shit," Trevor stood and grabbed at Rafael's arm, forcing him to his feet. Rafael fought the urge to rip his arm from the man's hands as he was pushed towards the front door, socked feet slipping a bit on the hardwood.

"Answer the door and tell them to go away. Do it or I slit your fuckin' throat," Trevor whispered in his ear, bringing the gun up close to his neck and scraping it against his jugular. Rafael tipped his head away, nodding and gulping. Trevor pulled away from him and backed up, disappearing as he slipped into the stairwell, out of sight from the front door.

He dared a glance behind him, seeing an empty living room but he didn't waste time in trying to figure out where they went. Instead, half of him was paying attention to Trevor, staring at him with a murderous glance the longer he waited to open the door. The other half was wondering who the hell could be knocking on his door this late at night.

He had an answer as he swung the heavy door open to see a familiar face dressed in uniform, thumbs tucked in his belt and a polite smile on his face.

"Mr. Barba," he said as a way of greeting. Rafael smiled tightly, gulping down the gut reaction to spill everything that was going on in hopes that it would save him and his son. But there were three of them and only one officer. Easily outnumbered and the kid was only two years into the job. He happened to have been the arresting officer in a big case last year, one that had gained national media attention and they had all worked closely with him after he became a lead witness in the case.

Barba always waved to him whenever he saw him in the lobby of the precinct, liking him enough to do so. There was a smidgen of hope that ignited in his chest that maybe, somehow, he could give him a sign that something was up without actually saying it.

"Officer Drake, what brings you here?"

"Just checking up. Sergeant Tutuola called in to dispatch with a 10-95 per Lieutenant Benson's request. I picked it up since I was headed down this way anyhow."

He knew his wife would pull through. He just knew it. He didn't doubt for a second that Liv knew something was up when he didn't answer after she called him repeatedly. The flicker of hope in his chest was spreading like wild fire now and with a calm he shouldn't have felt, he quickly reassured the kid that everything was fine, an idea forming in his head.

"Everything's fine. She's probably just worried because I didn't hear my phone. I tried calling her around **10:39** , and we've been playing phone tag ever since."

Drake nodded, eyes furrowed a bit and Rafael hoped beyond hope he took the bait. He did his best to put emphasis on the time, fixing the kid with his hardest glare he could muster. Eyes narrowed, lips pursed and head lowered, it was effective in making Drake take a closer look at him, pausing to tilt his head as the two stared at each other.

"At 10:39…you said?"

"10:39."

Rafael brought his hand up to rub his nose, discreetly pointing to his left and let his eyes wander in that direction quickly. Recognition hit the young man, picking up on what he was saying as he brought his hand down to his side again.

"Alright…well…I'll…I'll let her know, right away sir."

"Thank you," he nodded, mouthing the word 'please' silently. Drake nodded, eyes wide as he quickly left, running down the short path to his squad car. Rafael watched as he flung the door open, and stepped back when Trevor pulled on his shirt and slammed the door closed so hard, it rattled the frame.

"That was too fucking close, Trev. We need to get the fuck going, especially if that bitch is sending cops to her house. She knows something is up, I'm telling you," Mark, who stood up from behind the couch swiftly, nervously holstered his knife and ran a hand through his long, brown hair. Nameless stood up next to him, cracking his knuckles and this was the first-time Rafael had an actual good look at both of the men.

Their clothes were blood stained and still wet. He noted the used towels they stole from the bathroom next to the den were splotched with dirt and rust colored blood that didn't belong to them. Nameless looked familiar, now that he thought about it. The bald man was as close to a skin head as you could get, his goatee long and brushing against the dark hoodie he wore on his body.

"Agreed," Trevor agreed from behind him, "Markie, you ta- "

The creaking of a door was all it took for Rafael's heart to seize in his chest. He felt his knees go weak and tears well up in his eyes as he made terrified eye contact with Trevor, who raised his gun at the sudden noise. Both Mark and Nameless pulled their weapons out again, looking up at the darkened staircase.

It was dead quiet in the living room as little feet shuffled across the hardwood floor above them, the floorboards groaning under the little body that sleepily called out for him into the small hallway. Light flooded the staircase, making him flinch as he willed Noah to just go back to bed.

"Daddy, I thirsty!"

Rafael swallowed the growing lump in his throat, "Trevor."

It was the first time he addressed the man directly and his voice was rough and harsh, betraying the pleading expression and tears in his eyes as he glanced at the staircase, where little feet were slowly and carefully climbing down.

Noah appeared and stopped halfway down, rubbing his eyes tiredly and clutching the stuffed dinosaur to his chest. He opened his little eyes and looked down into the living room, confused as he called for Rafael again, looking perplexed and a little fearful of the strangers in his home.

Trevor and Rafael maintained eye contact, one side pleading and the other taken aback by the sudden development. He obviously hadn't been planning this being part of his little plan, whatever that may have been when he broke into his home.

"I hear sirens again," Mark threw out into the quiet room, tearing away from the newly developed situation to peek out of the blind covered window that stood next to the still playing television.

"Shit," Mark bit out, pulling away from the blinds when he was met with flashing lights, the sirens only growing closer to their current location. Nameless stomped his way over and pushed Mark out of the way, looking out onto the street that was loitered with incoming cop cars, lights on and sirens bouncing off the surrounding homes.

"Daddy…?"

Trevor's hand shook, gun still clutched in his hand as he looked rapidly back and forth between Rafael, Noah and the developing situation outside. He was breathing heavy, eyes wild as they bounced back and forth. Rafael stood his ground, doing his best to remain calm and somehow, trying to keep Noah calm as well. He looked dangerously close to crying as he sensed the situation getting more tense.

"Calm down," Rafael said gently to Noah, ignoring Mark's curses as Nameless continued to peek through the blinds of the window. Noah raised an arm, a sign that he wanted to picked up but Rafael didn't dare move as Trevor rubbed a hand over his face.

"Fuck, Trevor, there's like fucking eight cop cars outside! We need to get the fuck out of here!"

"Shut the fuck up! I know!"

Noah burst into tears at the outburst, holding his stuffed dinosaur up to cover his face at the loud shouting. Rafael's heart ached, wanting nothing more than to scoop his son up and comfort him, but there was a gun shoved into his neck again and Trevor roughly wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him back against his body.

"Listen!"

His voice was so loud in his ear as he yelled over the sounds of Noah's sobs, but it drew Mark out of his panic attack and Nameless away from the window. Rafael gasped as the arm dug into his neck and he struggled for breath, his eyes never leaving Noah, who sunk to the step and started calling frantically for him again.

"Trevor, we're fucked."

"No we're not," Trevor growled, adjusting his grip on the gun.

"Oh yeah," Mark practically yelled, gesturing at the sound of a booming voice over a megaphone outside on the sidewalk, reminding them that they were surrounded, "How do you know?!"

"Because I just do. Now shut the fuck up and find something so we can tie these two up. And find some duct tape for the brat."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The end is near, I can feel it. Enjoy.

Liv was out of the SUV as soon as it pulled to a stop a behind the barricade set up at the end of the street.

"Liv!"

She ignored the cries from someone, whoever it was, behind her as she weaved in and out of the police vehicles and SWAT members lined up along the street, checking their weapons and being briefed on the current situation. She paid them no mind as they all turned to look at her bolting towards the front door of her home.

It was cleared completely, the porch light on and inviting her to bust the door down.

"Olivia! Stop!"

Fin's voice vaguely registered in her mind as pleading, but it didn't slow her down in the slightest. A few officers moved out of her way and others tried to stop her with placating hands but she saw none of it. She only saw the front door of her house, dancing with red and blue lights and teasing her with what lie inside.

The breath nearly escaped from her lungs when a sudden pair of arms wrapped around her and nearly toppled her to the ground. Her immediate reaction was to fight the person off and she did, landing a hard blow to the side of some random, large officer who backed off quickly. She was angry as hell and she made sure everyone in the vicinity knew so, but taking the time to spit out those insults left her crew enough time to catch up to her, effectively cutting her off again.

"Move," she yelled, trying to push past Fin and Carisi, but they kept her back and Amanda placed hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"Move or all of you are fired."

"Liv, listen to me- "

"No! You listen to me!"

Liv whipped around and pointed a finger in Amanda's face. The blonde backed up, seeing Liv's hand fly to the holster on her side and daftly undue the clip holding her gun in place.

"My child and husband are in there, being held at fucking gun point by some psycho murderer who's been leading us around this fucking city all night! I'm going in there and no one is stopping me."

"I will," Fin stepped up behind her, a stern look on his face as Liv rounded on him. For a second, they all thought Liv was actually going to pull her gun. Carisi inched closer, hands up in a placating gesture, ready to launch himself to diffuse the situation if need be.

"Fin, don't."

"You're not going to help anyone like this. You're scared, we all are…but you need to calm your ass down and think logically."

Liv pursed her lips, tears clouding her vision as they dripped down her cheeks. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was right. The way he stared her down, damned and determined not to let her intimidate him with her authority or her weapon and somewhere, in the back of her head, she appreciated that.

Instead of trying to soothe her, he was speaking to her like she needed to be spoken to in that moment.

Because she was so scared and upset and she was about to charge in and do something stupid. But Fin stopped her and she realized she could have just fucked this entire thing up with her emotions clouding her rational thinking.

"Liv," he called to her again, a hand on her wrist, pulling it away from her side arm, "C'mon."

She wrangled her wrist free from his grip and wiped at her cheeks, nodding that she was back with them. After an apologetic glance at Amanda, she surged forward to the front lines, but with a different purpose.

It didn't take long for someone to flag her down and she instantly recognized the young man in uniform who didn't waste time in addressing her directly.

"Lieutenant! I was the responding officer on the call. I was the one who informed dispatch."

"Officer Drake," she shook his hand, finding it hard to keep her eyes on him instead of looking at the front door to her home.

"Your husband, Mr. Barba? He…he tipped me off."

"You spoke to him?"

"Yeah, he answered the door."

A little spark of hope ignited in her chest. He made contact with her husband, which meant he was fine. He was fine and if he was, then Noah was safe. At least, that's where she wanted her thinking to wander.

"What did he say? Was he ok? Was he hurt?"

"No," Drake shook his head, "He seemed normal. Like, everything was ok. Except, he specifically mentioned calling you around 10:39. And I thought that was weird because it's such a random number but he said it again and then he looked to the side and it hit me! He was saying-"

"A police code. 10-39 is a hostage situation," Carisi cut into the conversation and Fin backed up the comment with, "Quick thinking."

"I thought so, too," Drake nodded and moved away from them, sensing the end of the conversation. Liv rubbed the back of her neck, and let her eyes drift up to the second window on the right. Noah's room. The light was off.

"Lieutenant Benson."

Liv turned to see another familiar face and this time, it brought back memories of a particular incident a few years back involving her own hostage situation. He'd been on the scene, even if he hadn't handled the negotiation.

Henry Trite was a large, grey-haired man with a beard and a fierce attitude. She'd met with him a handful of times before, being on the scene for some nasty cases that involved his expertise. He was good at talking to people in high-pressure situations and she was glad he was the one on the job. If anyone could talk down a criminal, it was Trite.

"Henry," she greeted and extended her hand.

"I'm sorry we're here under these circumstances, but we're going to work on getting your son and husband out of there. We just need to figure out who's behind that door."

"Trevor Washington," she spit out and he was taken aback by the sudden name. Of course, he had to have been watching the news, because he recited it back to her and she confirmed it.

"The man this entire city is locked down for? Are you positive?"

Amanda cut in, "Every single victim that's been murdered tonight has had personal connection to Trevor during this entire case. Victoria Maddox, his defense attorney, was just killed a little under an hour ago just a few blocks away."

Trite eyed the blonde but nodded and looked back to Liv, "This isn't a hunch?"

"I know it's him," Liv responded and folded her arms over her chest, "I have no doubt in my mind it's him."

Trite turned around and spoke to a few suited-up men behind him before he waved them all to follow him to a large police truck pulled up on the other side of the street. The door was open and allowed them easy access into the small interior. On one side of the wall of the truck were monitors blacked out and a few laptop computers open. There were a few men milling around in the back of the open space truck, working with a bunch of other equipment she couldn't name.

"Here's the plan. I'll approach the door with a few officers behind me. That way, if he's feeling up to it, we can negotiate face-to-face. That way, I can assess the situation easier and get a visual on the two. However, if that doesn't work, we can talk through the phone. That limits visualization, but I can work around that."

Carisi, who was still standing in the doorway due to space, piped up, "Well, this guy gets pretty easily agitated. Maybe it would be- "

"How about you do your job and I do mine?"

Trite didn't spare Carisi another glance as the detective stepped out of the way and let him pass. Liv sighed and sat down on the bench, Fin joining her. Carisi scoffed and muttered _'prick'_ under his breath to which Amanda agreed.

"He's right," Fin agreed, shutting them both down with an unusually firm tone. Amanda and Carisi both shut it and refocused on the situation at hand as Liv sat back and sunk into her own thoughts.

She wasn't relaxed; her muscles were still tense and she looked close to tears, but she wasn't trying to kill anyone and that was progress. They just all hoped Trite would pull through.

* * *

Rafael hummed a soft tune against his son's head, feeling him snuggle further into his chest as he kept his face hidden in the crook of his neck. He stopped crying just a few minutes before but he was tensed up and his little hands hung on to his shirt like they were his lifeline. Rafael had made sure Noah knew he was safe and that nothing, absolutely nothing was going to happen to him. Not while his daddy was around. Not while there were people out there who loved him just as much as he and Liv did.

Rafael had managed to talk them out of tying him up and he currently sat with his back to the wall just below the staircase, in clear view of the living room and television that was muted, but was now showing a live feed of the outside of his house. Trevor stood with his arms crossed in front of it, watching the officers work while spectators hung out of the windows of their homes, even though they were advised not to.

"We're so fucked…," Mark whimpered from the couch, elbows on his knees and hands shoved into his dirty looking hair. He rocked back and forth as Nameless rolled his eyes and picked at his teeth with the sharp, pointed tip of his knife, still covered in blood.

"We're not fucked. We have this loud-mouth asshole," Trevor gestured towards him and Noah, "and his kid. They're gonna do anything we want them to."

"Man, as soon as they have what we want they're gonna kill us. You're real fucking dumb if you think they won't," Mark stood up and violently jabbed his finger towards the outside of the house, where the police lights were still shining. Rafael could hear the faint sounds of a helicopter swirling overhead, just as the feed on the television cut to an aerial shot.

"What makes you think they're gonna get what they want?"

Rafael's stomach dropped at those words and he pulled Noah tighter against his body, feeling his legs wrap tighter around his waist. He sniffled against his neck, his eyelashes tickling the skin as he blinked rapidly. He was starting to fall back asleep and for that, he was thankful. He'd been through a lot in the past twenty minutes and it broke his heart having to listen to his terrified cries for him.

"Trev…," Nameless took the blade from his mouth and moved in closer to him, glancing at Rafael as he said something to him quietly, a look of concern on his face.

"Man, fuck no. I ain't no baby killer."

Nameless just nodded and took a seat next to Mark, who had heard the mini conversation and looked somewhat calmer than he did before. Trevor looked over at him, taking in the scene before he stalked over to them and slid down next to Rafael on the floor.

Rafael tensed and Noah sat up suddenly. He tried to scramble away and Rafael moved him to the other side of his lap, keeping him partially guarded with his own body. Trevor took note and sighed, rubbing a dirty hand over his face.

"We don't wanna hurt your kid. I didn't know you had one. Hell, I didn't know you were even married to that cop before tonight, anyway."

"How did you know where we live?"

"I have my ways," Trevor answered cryptically, "But the point is…we have to get out of here alive. You're going to help us do that."

Rafael was confused and he pulled Noah tighter to his body again, trying to calm down his shaking little form the best he could. He hadn't ever seen his son this terrified and it was breaking him apart inside. He just wanted him to _calm down_.

"I don't know how you expect me to help you…but I will…as long as my son gets out of here, unharmed."

Trevor was about to respond, a smile poised on his lips just as a few loud knocks on the door broke the near silence of the living room. Rafael jumped, feeling Noah do so and he hugged him tighter, whispering in his ear as he watched all three men stand nervously in their spots. Trevor walked to the door, gun pulled out and cocked as he shouted at the wood.

"I'll kill them both! Back off!"

" _Mr. Washington! My name is Henry Trite, I'm with the negotiation team. We would like to speak with you and see if we can reach an agreement."_

Trevor stayed quiet, not knowing what to say or how to answer. He was silent until the man on the other side of the door knocked and called his name again.

" _Mr. Washington, we'd like to give you call on your cell phone if it's available. That way we can talk and you don't have to let us in."_

Trevor contemplated the suggestion and pulled his phone out to inspect it. It had been in the water just before they arrived, but the phone case provided sufficient protection against water damage and it still seemed to be working just fine.

"Ok," was all he said in response and pulled away from the door.

"What's the plan, then," Mark asked, his hands shaking nervously and fingers twiddling. He looked so meek and small compared to when Rafael saw him last. It was such a vast change in character it was almost as if this was a different man.

"See what they offer us," Trevor replied easily. He took a seat on the end of the coffee table and accepted the incoming phone call just as his phone began to ring. He pushed the speaker icon, the voice of the negotiator filling the room.

" _Thank you for answering, Mr. Washington."_

"No problem. Now tell us what you want."

" _Plain and simple, we would like you to release the two hostages into police custody and we can work out further details afterwards."_

"No."

" _Mr. Washi- "_

"You can't have both of them. That would be shooting myself in the foot, now wouldn't it?"

There was total silence on the other end and Rafael waited with bated breath for the negotiator to answer. Trevor, hopefully, wasn't going to back down on his word of letting Noah out of the house and from the way it was sounding, he wasn't.

" _You'll only release one of them?"_

"That's all you get. I'll have other demands later."

There was another beat of silence, but there was also concerned, hushed words in the background, muffled for a few seconds.

" _Ok, but we- "_

"Don't worry, you'll get the kid. I'm not about to kill a child."

Rafael dropped his back against the wall, relief and flooding his system and he could feel the sting of tears assaulting the back of his eyes again. There were no words to describe just how much better he felt at the thought of Noah being reunited with Liv and whisked away from this mess.

Because he knew Liv was out there. He could feel it, even if he couldn't see it. She was out there and she was probably a wreck, just at the thought of her baby being in danger. God knew the both would move mountains for this little boy clutching onto his body, just to keep him safe and happy.

" _Alright. We'll send an officer up."_

"No. I'll pick who comes up. Lieutenant Benson isn't stepping foot in here."

Rafael watched nervously from his position as Trevor walked over to the windows and peeking out of the blinds only slightly.

"What was the name of that hot blonde detective? The one that told me to 'fuck off' when I asked if she was single," Trevor looked to Rafael, holding the phone close to his chest so he could muffle the conversation on their end.

"Detective Rollins," Rafael replied slowly, feeling a bit of a weird protectiveness over the woman he would venture to call a friend. That was due in part to the obvious advances the man had made towards Rollins and his own wife, and Barba put him in his place when that happened. Which was probably why they were even in his home right now, holding him and his son hostage.

"I would like to request Detective Rollins to be sent in, please."

* * *

Amanda was a bit taken aback by the weird request but immediately flew into action afterwards. They'd all been sitting in the mobile command center, listening to the voice of Trevor speaking with Trite. They were all a bit floored at just how easy it was to get him to hand over Noah, but they would take what they could get. That left Barba still with them and in definite danger, but Noah was top priority.

Amanda had been standing next to Liv, with a hand on her shoulder in comfort as they listened to the phone call. Dried tear tracks made her face look puffy with red-rimmed eyes, but it was clear to see the fear mingling with anger as she listened to the man speak like it was just a normal conversation.

"Ok. Thank you, Mr. Washington. Detective Rollins will be knocking on the door shortly. She will be alone but she will be wearing a vest and she won't have any weapons."

Amanda quickly shucked off her holster and slid the heavy coat she'd been wearing off her shoulders. Carisi helped her get into the bullet proof vest quickly before another officer took over, winding a chord and small, black camera on her already black shirt. It blended in and was almost unrecognizable.

The screen flickered to life on one of the command center's screens, a few already displaying the news footage streaming in from all of the news channel. The officer waved his hand, checking to make sure the display was working properly and then turned to go further back into the truck, leaving Trite to directly speak with her.

"When you go in there, you remind them what you're there for. Do not make small talk. Your main objective is to get the kid out of the house immediately. However, make sure you can get a full shot of the entire area."

"Yeah, I got it, Trite. I'm not fucking this up."

Trite looked a little peeved at her dismissal of him but Amanda didn't truly care. She knew he was just doing his job, but she'd been in hostage situations before. This was different…more personal…but she was going to treat with more urgency than she had in the past.

For Liv's sake, because the woman was wringing her hands, looking ready to cry again.

"Liv," Amanda said softly, grabbing her attention, "I'll get him out, ok?"

Liv nodded, unusually subdued. Earlier, they practically had to pin her to the ground, but she supposed the entire mental breakdown she had when they first arrived took a lot out of her.

"Thank you…," she whispered. Amanda patted her back, offering her any comfort she could give. Carisi stood silently next Amanda, a tap on her back reminding her she had to get going.

Fin pulled back on Liv, having the woman sit back next to him. The atmosphere was so tense; it was damn near suffocating in there. Amanda took a deep breath as she was escorted out of the command center and walked the short path to the police barricade, set up only feet away from sidewalk.

Carisi had followed behind her and she could feel the concern rolling off him in waves as he tightened her vest, jerking her a little bit and pulling the strap harshly against her midsection. Amanda turned and pushed him away gently, her hands on his arms as she stared up at him.

"I'll be fine…ok?"

"You know what he's capable of," the taller man responded quickly. She wanted to wave off his concern but she was fully aware his worry was 100% warranted. Trevor made it no secret he admired many women, but he had a type he liked to overpower and take down with a fight. Strong, confident women who could give it back just as good as they got.

It was that personality type that he felt the urge to attack the most and her and Liv fit the profile to a T. She remembered, just a few days ago, when he made those awful passing comments that had practically all of the men on the floor baring their teeth.

"I know and trust me, he's not going to get a chance to do a damn thing."

She turned on her heel and nodded towards an office who stood by the barricade, ready to let her pass through and into the clearing. It fell silent outside around them as she took her first, hesitant steps onto the sidewalk, only the sounds of the helicopter circling above the street met her ears. The deep inhale and exhale of a calming breath did the exact opposite of what she intended as her anxiety spiked.

The closer she got to the door, the more on edge she became. Her hand reached for her gun, but quickly realized it had been snatched away from her belt as soon as her name came through the phone. It happened so fast she didn't even see it go.

Amanda climbed the steps, opting to shove her shaking hands into the space between her vest and chest. She glanced behind her, making eye contact with Carisi and Liv and Fin coming up behind him. She nodded at no one in particular as she reached out and knocked firmly on the heavy door. She listened to the shuffling and muffled voices before the door cracked open, leaving her enough space to slip in.

The first thing she saw was Barba on the floor, clutching Noah to his chest and she breathed out a sigh of relief seeing that they were both ok. The second thing she noticed was the obvious and uncomfortable leer from the very man they all worked hard to send to jail just two days ago, along with two new faces she immediately identified. They didn't have their names, but they were familiar faces.

"Come on in, sweetie," he smiled at her softly and quickly closed the door, avoiding looking outside or being in plain view just in case. Amanda watched him and quickly backed herself into a corner, making sure her back was covered. She also made sure to capture a full view of the living room, knowing they were watching in the command center.

"I'm here for Noah."

"Of course," he said and gestured towards Barba, who managed to stand up with Noah wrapped around his body. Amanda was weary, looking them all up and down as she made her way over to the two familiar faces. She didn't trust any of these men, especially after the shit they'd done that night already.

"Hey," Amanda greeted Barba, looking sympathetic as she reached for Noah. The little boy whined a bit and kept his arms and legs wrapped around his dad. Barba placed a hand on the back of his head and whispered in his ear. After a few seconds, Noah dared a peek out from the neck he shoved his face in, looking directly at Amanda.

He slowly pulled his head up, feeling safe enough and realizing who was trying to grab him.

"Hey little man," she cooed and reached for him, but he pulled back again, "I'm going to take you outside, ok? Mommy's waiting for you."

Noah perked up at the mention of his mommy and he looked at Barba, bringing a little hand up to rest on the man's cheek.

"Daddy, we can leave?"

Amanda bit back a sad smile as she listened to him answer, "No, buddy, daddy has to stay in here."

"Why?"

"Noah," Barba pressed his forehead against his for a long moment and then kissed his forehead, "I have to stay in here, but mommy's waiting for you outside, ok? You're going to go with Aunt Mandy now."

Noah nodded, looking sad as he turned and fell into Amanda's grasp.

"I got him," she confirmed, wrapping her one arm under his bottom and the other around his back. Rafael looked grateful, a small, conflicted smile on his face. She gave him a meaningful glance; one he could read. It was a silent communication they'd all acquired working so long with him.

It was a look that said we'll get him. We've got it. We'll take care of it.

Except, it was different, because she was saying 'We've got you.' The determined look hiding his scared expression told her he understood. Barba was strong. He was a fighter. He wouldn't go down without one. It was the same look of determination he had when there was a particularly risky or shaky case he was trying to win.

But this was his life hanging in the balance.

Amanda turned on her heel and swiftly walked towards the door, tensing as she passed by Trevor and felt his eyes roaming over her back along with the other's. She waited for Trevor to saunter past her and to the door, but she froze when she felt a hand trail down her back and a finger curl into her belt loop.

"Don't you wanna stick around?"

Amanda clutched Noah tighter to her body, feeling the little boy tense and burrow further into her body. There was shuffling behind her and an angry exclamation but she didn't hear the words that were said. She could only hear a pained groan and body hitting the floor as hot breath caressed her ear and a warm hand curl around her waist. His presence was burning hot and surrounding her, making her skin crawl with a fear she hadn't felt in a while.

Trevor was lucky she was holding Noah, because she would have turned and killed him in that instant, just for touching her. The sinking feeling in her stomach that the body that hit the floor belonged to Rafael as she heard more gasps of air and angry, hushed growling. That feeling only intensified when she heard Noah whimper and she pushed his face into her neck, cutting off his eyesight. He didn't need to see that.

She did her damndest not to seem affected. She concentrated so hard, she held her breath and kept her eyes forward, taking in the intricate detail of the old, wooden door in front of her. Just beyond it were a plethora of officers and her squad with a woman dying to hold her child.

Amanda steadied her voice the best she could, but it still shook as she said, "Open the door, please."

There was a lifetime of a moment as the hand slid off her waist and his presence diminished. She took a deep breath as she locked eyes with him. His hand turned the door knob and he moved behind it, cracking it open just enough for her to pass by him. Amanda wanted to smack the little satisfied smirk off his face. God, how she wished she could.

"Have a good night detective," he winked at her and leaned towards her, "You too little man."

Amanda jerked away from him as Trevor leafed his fingers through Noah's hair and quickly exited the home. The door slammed shut behind her as she took off down the stairs, the lights of the cameras and police bars blinding her as she moved closer.

Urgent hands guided her behind the police barricade and before she could react, Noah was snatched out of her arms. She grabbed for him for a second but realized Liv was the one who plucked him out of her arms. Amanda watched as the woman sank to her knees, Noah cradled to her body as she cried into his shoulder.

"Is Barba ok? How many are there?"

Liv looked up at the mention of her husband, still cradling her son to her chest as tears continued to flow. Amanda smiled briefly, "He's fine."

She glossed over the fact that she was almost positive he probably wasn't fine anymore.

"Three of them. Trevor and that one guy, Mark? From the arraignment? He was in there. Plus, some other guy I didn't know. But Barba's fine as far as I could tell."

Liv looked at her, skeptical, but she didn't breathe a word. She just held Noah tighter to her body as Fin helped her up from the ground and escorted her over to a waiting EMT to double check the five-year-old's condition. Carisi patted her back and moved around her, leaving her near the police barricade as he headed towards the truck where they could see Trite speaking on the phone in the doorway.

After a moment of deliberation, Amanda followed behind him, ready to go where she needed to go. Noah was safe, now it was time to focus on Barba.

* * *

Rafael's eyes were transfixed on the aerial shot of his home playing across the television screen. He could see Amanda running to safety and the camera zoomed in, just enough, that he could make out the recognizable form of his wife falling to her knees with their son in her arms.

He choked on the sob trying to escape on a hitched breath as he cradled his side. They kicked him and threatened that if he made another noise or moved an inch, they were going to do way worse than that, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was so overcome with joy he almost laughed, just knowing his wife and his son were safe out on the street.

"Now what's the plan? Can we kill him and sneak out of here? The longer were in here the more shit we're gonna be in. Also," Mark moved around the coffee table, stomping straight up to Trevor who had walked away from the door and back to watching the television, "why the FUCK did you get rid of the kid? You think they're gonna give a shit about this asshole?"

Rafael glared at the man, lips pursed and still rubbing at his sore side.

"Tony," Trevor barked and Nameless (who now had a name), stood to attention, "If Mark makes another backwards comment to me again, I want you to kill him."

Mark jumped back, looking between the two men as he pulled out his knife. Rafael certainly hadn't been expecting that, either. Tony merely grunted, folding his arms with the sharp hunting blade protruding from his hand.

"You lost your mind? After all the shit I've done for you," Mark hissed. Trevor rolled his eyes and glanced at the man from the corner of his eye. There was a tense silence that followed, the TV the only distraction in the otherwise quiet room. Trevor stared for a full minute, leaving Mark to jerk around and shift in place and Rafael could tell he was losing confidence by the second.

The small man growled and shoved his knife towards Trevor, almost like he was warning the man, "I shouldn't have lied for you. I should have stayed away from you and minded my own business. You fucking psycho."

Mark threw his knife on the couch and scratched at his face like a maniac, squealing and gnashing his teeth. Rafael looked away, pressing himself further into the wall, trying to escape from the sight and sound assaulting his senses. It went on for another few seconds before it still again and Mark took a deep breath.

Blood dripped down his face from where the fingernails cut into his skin and he stood up straight with a determined look.

"I'm turning myself in."

The next event that unfolded happened so quick, Rafael saw it in slow motion.

One second, Mark was marching towards the door and in the next second, he was on the floor with a hunting blade shoved clean through his head. His lifeless eyes connected with his own green ones and he felt his stomach churn as he twitched once, twice and then went still on the floor.

There was a harsh vibrating sound that broke the silence and Trevor grabbed his phone from the coffee table. Trevor licked his lips and answered the phone, the corners of his mouth rising as he brought the phone up to his ear and listened intently.

"…yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, let me tell you what I want."

Rafael had the distinct feeling this wasn't going to end well for him.

Not at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright guys! Here's the next chapter. It's getting close to the end!

"Shh, calm down baby."

Liv kept her lips pressed to Noah's temple, rocking him back and forth so he could calm down enough to let the EMT check him over.

She could tell right away that he was fine. Not a hair on his head was out of place and Amanda had confirmed that he was safely tucked away in her husband's arms when the blonde went in, so her anxiety on that issue was calmed.

But that didn't help the anxiety building by leaps and bounds as Rafael was still being held inside, probably with a gun to his head and being threatened with his life. The thought was making her blood pressure spike and the gnawing worry that this wasn't going to end well ripped at her stomach.

"Mommy," Noah breathed, pulling back so he could look up at her. He looked terrified still, with red-rimmed eyes and a red nose. His lips were a little swollen, an easy indicator that he'd been crying and it tore her heart in two. How scared had her little baby been? How did he even end up in that situation? Certainly, Rafael hadn't been the one to thrust him there.

Anger beneath the impenetrable worry bubbled deep within and she wanted nothing more to get her hands on the men raiding her home. She sat feet away from the front door and oh, how easy it would be for her to run in bust that door down and make those mother fuckers pay for what they put her family through.

But she needed to stay level-headed and calm. Her son was safe, but her husband wasn't and she couldn't, _wouldn't_ , jeopardize any effort to get him out of there.

She just wanted to have both of her boys safe, in her arms and out of harm's way. The idea that that might not happen, though, seeped into the darkest corners of her mind, filling the empty spaces in a way nothing ever had before.

"Daddy?"

Liv felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach as Noah looked out at the crowd of people. He sniffled, still clinging to her as if she were going to float away any second.

"He's ok, honey," she whispered, more to herself than to him. He didn't understand what was going on or the gravity of the situation itself and she was grateful for it. The kind of lasting affect this was going to have on him, from only being exposed to it for under an hour, was enough. She didn't want him thinking Rafael was in any danger at all.

"Where is he? He come out now?"

Noah looked at her expectantly, eyes so full of question and hope and it chipped a tiny piece of her heart away. From day one till now, him and Rafael had been a team. The two of them against the world, it seemed like. It made sense that they were so intertwined and connected to each other, because they were one in the same. Like father, like son, even if it didn't match up in the biological sense.

"Not yet, baby. But he will soon."

Noah looked ready to ask another question, but she cradled him back against her chest and pushed his head into her shoulder, resuming her humming and rocking as she thought about her husband and what he must have been feeling.

God, she just wanted him to be ok.

* * *

"…call me back when you have an answer."

Trevor threw the phone on the couch, uncontrollable anger overtaking his being as he reached down and flipped the coffee table, the glass smashing as it hit the floor. It was deafening in the silence of the living room and Tony huffed, arms crossed as he lounged against the back of the couch.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"You want me to shoot your dick off? Or how about I shove a knife through your head like Marky," Trevor gestured towards the dead body that still lie there, staring distantly at Rafael with a slack jaw. The blood had traveled in a thick stream, seeping into the hardwood floors and seeping into his socks.

The sight and feeling made him sick to his stomach, but Rafael was intent on following every order. He knew they weren't messing around now and if that was the message they were trying to get across, it worked. He had a family out there he was _going_ to see again and that meant doing anything to get to them.

"Hey, you're the one who got us into this fucking mess in the first place, Trev. All because you couldn't keep it in your pants."

Trevor growled and drew the gun, making Rafael jump and prepare for the loud gunshot, but it stayed quiet. Instead, the tense silence was worse than the sound of a gunshot as the two men stared each other down. It was like watching two animals circling each other before a fight.

Tony backed down first, spitting near Trevor's feet but moving towards the kitchen and announcing he was thirsty.

Trevor smirked and shoved the gun back in his waist band, sending Rafael a dirty look. He traveled back to the blind covered window to peek out quickly, but withdrew when he heard the vibrating phone from the couch. Rafael heard the distant sound of cabinets slamming shut and dishes clinking together roughly from the other room.

"Have an answer?"

Trevor turned his back towards Rafael, rubbing a hand along his neck as he listened to the other end of the conversation, nodding to himself. Tony returned with a beer, taking large swigs and practically stomping back to the couch where he lounged before.

"…I want the money in the car. No cops trailing us out of the city. If we even get the hint, we open fire and I have pretty good aim."

Rafael's eyes drifted back to Mark's lifeless body and then Tony, who was busy picking the dirt out from underneath his fingernails to notice him studying him. He was a large man, muscular, with a beer belly that contradicted the rest of his frame. From his bald head to his long legs, the man was covered in tattoos. Even from his position on the floor just feet away, Rafael could make out racist symbolism and gang affiliated ink on the exposed parts of his skin. Somehow, that made him ten times scarier.

"...no, he doesn't talk until I get what I want. You got the brat for free. You won't be getting him the same way."

Trevor looked ready to hang up, walking back and forth between the broken glass underneath his boots. The crunching noise was almost unbearable to Rafael, but he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, focusing on reciting the Constitution in his head in a desperate attempt to take him away from the reality unfolding in front of him.

"Fine. How about this? We'll video chat. You see he's fine and you do what we say. Alright? That work for you, pal?"

Trevor smiled, turning to face Rafael, who had ceased his reciting at the mention of video chatting. He watched with weary eyes as Trevor brought the phone down and tapped away, his fingernails tapping against the screen until he pulled the screen up to face him.

* * *

"Liv!"

She wanted to smack Carisi but thankfully, his excited shout from around the corner of the ambulance hadn't stirred him. Noah was pretty much dead to the world and she was happy her hummed tune against his head worked. Her back ached from the lack of support and her neck was starting to hurt just a bit, but she hadn't wanted to put him down.

Carisi came to a halt and winced, seeing Noah asleep in her arms but that didn't quell the urgent posture of his body or tone of his words.

"They got him on video chat. Trite talked him into letting Barba talk through video and he- "

Carisi stopped, realizing the woman was already two steps ahead and lying Noah on the bench where she sat previously and covered him with a blanket they provided her earlier on. She moved swiftly, grabbing a random female officer to oversee her son's care and she shut the ambulance doors, wanting to eliminate the noise. With luck, he would remain asleep.

"They're letting him talk?"

"Yeah," Carisi caught up with her, practically running, "Trite agreed to his demands as long as we could see and talk to him. Of course, he tried getting them to release him but they aren't gonna do it for free."

"I'm not shocked," she spit out, pushing her way through a crowd of cops standing around and being useless. She heard Carisi apologize as she stepped up and into the truck, stopping as soon as she saw the live feed playing on the large television on the wall. It took up the expanse of the mini screens but she could clearly see her living room.

"Good evening, Mr. Washington," Trite greeted, tone sharp and face expressionless. His thumbs were hooked into his belt loop and feet spread apart, taking up the position of the man in charge, but Trevor didn't seem to be focusing in on him at all. His eyes immediately zeroed in on Liv, who stood in view of the camera transmitting their video to his cell phone, and the big grin that split his face sent a wave of legitimate rage through her entire being.

" _Lieutenant. Looking as beautiful as ever,"_ he winked at her and licked his lips, the video swaying as he adjusted the phone from one hand to another. A large man bent down into frame, an unfamiliar face but one that could instill fear in just about anyone if he looked at them wrong.

" _I'd like you to meet my good partner, Tony. He's been a huge help this evening. I would introduce you to Mark, but…he's indisposed at the moment."_

No one uttered a word as Liv stepped forward, hands curled and teeth clenched menacingly. She all but demanded they show her Rafael.

" _Now, now, sweetheart, you'll just to wait a moment. Let the men talk, first."_

"You fucking bastard," she hissed, lunging at the screen. Trite put an arm out, stopping her from getting closer to the camera. Trevor's face dipped dangerously, the smile he once wore turning down into an evil frown that held so much contempt it was unreal. Liv regretted the words, but it was as if it was an action taken by her own body without the consent of her mind.

It was silent for a long time, but then finally, Trevor turned and nodded to Tony, who disappeared out of frame. The camera didn't sway or move from its position facing the crazed man. He continued to stare into the screen as loud, stomping footsteps drifted further away.

The sharp cry of pain struck everyone suddenly, making them flinch at the volume and the subsequent gasps of pain that followed. They sounded so familiar, Liv felt her heart seize in her chest for a moment. She choked on a plea, seeing that malicious grin return to Trevor's face.

" _Mouth of to me again, and next time, the knife goes deeper,"_ he said kindly, batting his eyes as Liv was easily moved away from the screen by hands that belonged to someone, she wasn't sure who. Trite sent her a comforting look, holding a hand out in her direction as a way to pacify her.

"Mr. Washington…"

" _I didn't say you could talk, did I?"_

It took all of two seconds for Liv to realize this was a power play move. This was an intentional set up and had been from the start. They never fully intended on showing them that Rafael was ok. They were going to use this as an opportunity to exploit the fact they were willing to do just about anything to get him out of there.

"…No, but- "

" _Keep talking. The longer this goes the more he hurts."_

"Mr. Washington, we're trying to have a conversation with you…nothing more. You have demands we want to meet and you have a hostage with a family waiting for him. We want to cooperate with you."

Trite's words were perfect, there was no doubt about it. For a man with two decades of negotiation under his belt, he was the go to guy in the NYPD. He knew how to talk to people, to get them to open up and sometimes it ended nicely, sometimes it didn't. Those instances they didn't usually always ended up involving men like Trevor. Men who felt like they needed to control the situation.

He was the classic psychotic rapist, akin to the likes of William Lewis, a man that still forced her to check the darkened corners of her home on nights she wasn't able to sleep. This was a man that wasn't able to be negotiated with because he already had his mind set on the possibility of death being very high.

He more than likely didn't have a plan for making it out alive.

" _I know you're worried about this poor little lawyer…Tony, how deep did you cut him? He's bleeding everywhere. Man, you're gonna have to get a professional cleaner for these floors Benson..."_

Liv felt her stomach swirl at the light-hearted joke directed at her. The mention of blood and her husband's blood at that…

" _Look…I don't want to talk to you. I want to talk to Benson, so if you could move your big ass over, that would be great."_

She shared an unsure look with Trite for a second but he waved her over, deciding they had no time to waste. He'd more than likely come to the same conclusion as she had. People like this needed to get what they wanted, by any means necessary.

"I'm here," she said softly, standing straight and looking the man square in the eye. Her hands went limp by her side, wanting to come off as non-threatening. Having her hand on her side arm wasn't acceptable, even if she had the instinct to keep her grip on the handle the entire time.

" _Ah, Benson…this lighting doesn't do you justice. I can't see those beautiful brown eyes through the camera."_

She felt uncomfortable at the words tumbling from his mouth as he looked on appreciatively. Those words would have little to no effect on her in a normal situation, even after Lewis, but for some reason, she couldn't help but feel so exposed and violated. Perhaps, it was because he was standing in her home. Maybe, it was because half of her heart was inside, in pain and bleeding.

"How about you see them in person?"

Trite whispered at her angrily from the side, making sure he stayed inaudible and his wildly gesturing hand didn't show up on the screen. Liv ignored him, a little shocked at the suggestion that came out of nowhere, but she applauded herself for quick thinking.

Trevor seemed to contemplate that idea, bringing one of his fingers to tap thoughtfully at his chin. She could hear the low chuckle of the larger man and the faint, gasping _'NO'_ she recognized as Rafael. Instant guilt didn't last long. There was no way she wasn't going in there. She needed to see him. Now.

" _No weapons. No vest. Just you."_

"Deal."

The video feed cut off after an affirmative nod, plunging the entire truck into stunned silence. She felt all eyes on her as she slowly divested herself, sliding the badge off her neck first and letting drop to the counter in front of her.

"What the fuck are you doing," Trite shouted angrily, grabbing her wrist, which was the wrong move, because Liv pulled her gun so fast it nearly made his head swing. The safety was on and her hand wasn't anywhere near the trigger, but the action was enough to make him stop in fear for as the barrel pressed against his neck.

Liv continued to undue the vest slowly, the velcro sounding so loud and threatening in the small space they all stood in. The vest sat on her shoulders, open and the straps hanging loosely by her sides.

"Henry," she started calmly, betraying how she truly felt on the inside, "What would you do if Beth was in there?"

Trite backed off a little, the gun disconnecting from his neck as he looked on, eyes wide and lips parted at the mention of his wife of 25 years. He watched silently as she gently placed the firearm on the counter next to her badge.

"Would you wait out here, on the side lines?"

Liv slid the vest off her shoulder and let it sink to the floor, uncaring as it thumped loudly and scuffed against her boots. She adjusted her shirt, reaching for the necklace that securely held her wedding band around her neck and she thumbed the simple gold band.

"Or, would you try everything to get her out of there?"

Liv faced him, looking ready to defend her decision and the actions she was about to take. Trite looked ready to argue as well, but her detectives were still behind her, silent and watching the events unfold. Liv expected them to understand, even if they didn't exactly like where she was coming from. They knew better than to try and push her away from an already made decision and this, being so personal, they wouldn't dare utter a word against her.

Trite, swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, taking longer than a moment but less than a minute to answer the woman's question. Liv looked straight at him, lips pursed with a tiny, determined smirk lifting the corner of her mouth.

"I would, too. I'm going to."

Liv all but dared him to say anything against her again, but the man knew he lost. It was always a losing battle when it came to a determined Olivia Benson. He only worked with her a handful of times, but he knew enough about her to know that much.

"Fine…what do you need from me," Trite said softly, arms crossing over his chest again.

Liv bowed her head, a plan formulating between her eyes that was risky. It was stupid and it could cost her their lives, but men like Trevor Washington didn't have a plan for living. They only had one for dying.

In all honestly, she hoped they roped her into that plan, because someone was going to fucking pay for putting her family through this shit.

Finally, Liv raised her head and stretched her neck, feeling the tension leaving her shoulders the more confident and determined she became. All her focus was on the lit up front door of her family home.

"Cut the power."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I will throw in a TW for this because it gets a little violent in this chapter. Also, I hope you guys enjoy it. The pacing seems off to me, but I really wanted to get this posted before bed while the words were still fresh in my mind. Enjoy...or you know...try to.

Everything was moving in slow motion.

Like something out of an action movie, noise exploding all around them in muffled chaos. Boots stomping against the floor, the loud sounds of gunfire and shouting sounding deeper and resonating in her chest with every shock of commotion bursting forth into the room.

Liv smelled the smoke before she saw it.

A flashbang.

SWAT was in here and they were racing past them, clearing the house. They were inside, crawling up the stairs and kicking open doors, guns raised in defense for anything more that could potentially harm them.

Smoked curled along the floor, wafting over their bodies that lie side by side on the hardwood floor. Liv could feel the blood sliding over her nose, hitting the floor in thick splats. She could feel it sliding through her hair, just like her hand sliding across the floor. Her fingers laced with Rafael's shaking hand.

Brown eyes locked with green and she choked on a breath as she saw the sweat beading on his brow. He struggled for breath, a sliver of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as his chest heaved in shallow movements. His eyes were growing dull with every slow passing second, and she could see the blood seeping into the cotton shirt he wore, spreading across his chest and abdomen where the bullet holes leaked his life source.

The noise bursting around them like firecrackers drowned down into nothingness, the only sounds encompassing the space around their prone forms was her heavy gasps for breath. The pain grew exponentially in her bruised and battered body and face as she watched his eyes slipped close and his hand grow limp in her grip.

She dipped into unconsciousness only a second later, joining him as the world went black.

* * *

  **30 Minutes Earlier…**

Liv slid into the back of the ambulance, running her fingers through Noah's messy hair and rousing him from a fitful nap. His sleepy voice and narrowed eyes warmed her heart, fighting with the anxiety and terror and worry that existed there.

"Mommy?"

Liv leaned forward and pressed a cluster of kisses to his forehead, pushing him gently to lie down again. Amanda stood outside of the ambulance, ready to take over and watch over the boy as soon as Liv left. Her request for the blonde to watch over her child was met with no hesitation.

"Aunt Mandy is going to watch you for a little bit, ok? Abueli is on her way and you're going to go sleep at her house for the night."

"Why?"

Liv pulled the blanket up under his chin and adjusted the small pillow his head rested on, "Mommy has to take care of some things."

"What about daddy," he said, eyebrows knit together and searching her brown eyes with his own. She could see the worry in those mesmerizing orbs, seeking a comforting answer she couldn't give him. Liv felt uncomfortable being confident in her abilities. Even if she knew the outcome was going to positive, there was always that streak of doubt that left her wondering 'What If?'

But, Noah was young and he didn't understand that. All he knew was that something was wrong and his daddy wasn't there and his mommy was going somewhere. He looked confused a bit afraid, the remnants of the terror he felt earlier in the night still lingering under the surface, even if it wasn't immediately recognizable.

The thought that he was going to carry that feeling around for a while pissed her off, reigniting the anger she felt before. She was ready to go in there and fight. This was going to end, whether Trevor Washington and his friends liked it or not.

"Don't worry, baby," she whispered, stroking his forehead as his eyes grew heavy again, "Daddy's going to be just fine."

Liv was there for another few moments before she deemed it safe enough for her to leave without him waking up and calling for her again. She stepped down onto the street and clapped Amanda on the shoulder, nodding as she wished her luck before the blonde detective took a seat on the step, having a clear view of the front door.

A path cleared for her, Trite and Fin and waiting at the police barricade for her to pass through. She came to a stop, Carisi trailing behind her as she met with the men, eyes determined and back straight.

"You sure you want to do this? We can wait for an opening and have our sniper take them out instead. It's safer."

Liv waved of Trite's suggestion for what felt like the tenth time, "That could take hours. We don't have that much time. Trevor wants something from me…that's why he's waving my husband's life in my face."

"Liv," Fin stepped forward, "You know what he wants."

He didn't have to say it because she already knew what it was. In their line of work, working with men like this, it wasn't hard to grasp the concept. Amanda had been _this_ close just thirty minutes earlier while removing her son from the situation. Trevor thrived on women like them and there was no doubt he was using this situation to his advantage.

"He won't get the chance, Fin."

She said the words with no room for argument and her long-time friend and partner kept his lips shut, wisely. There was no way anyone was talking her out of it and really, no one seemed like they were going to try. She could have easily been thrown locked up and thrown in the back of a police cruiser, forcibly removed from the scene had that been the case.

"Alright," Trite interrupted and nodded down the street, where a cherry picker was raised towards an electric pole, a man in a hazard yellow vest waiting on standby near the transformer that powered the street, "Power will temporarily be disconnected shortly after you get in there. Get into position as soon as possible and as soon as you give us the go ahead on the earpiece, SWAT will be knocking down your door…and I hope to God this plan of yours works."

Liv nodded, smirking just a bit at Trite's annoyed eye roll. She knew he was just worried. Despite not knowing each other like old friends, something passed between the two of them when she called him out in the back of the negotiators truck a little bit ago. An understanding that only they could understand.

"Just have faith," she quipped, tapping the nude earpiece and rolled up her sleeves. Her hair was already pulled back and her ring was missing from her finger, safely tucked away in Carisi's pocket along with her cell phone.

Trite scoffed and waved his hand, giving the signal as Liv stepped through the barricade and made the slow walk to her front door. The crowd behind her went still, like everyone was holding their breaths along with her, tensed and giving her silent support

It only took a couple of steps across the sidewalk and up the stone steps that made up her small porch. She didn't spare a glance back, not needing to see the looks of strength and hope and worry her squad was giving her. She took a calming breath, saying a quick prayer to herself and for her husband as she knocked on the door, three times.

* * *

"Speak of the devil," Trevor smiled over at Rafael, who was nursing the small cut across his abdomen that hurt like no other. Rafael pleaded in his head, begged to whoever was listening to him to send his wife the other way. The last thing he wanted was for her to put herself in intentional danger just for him. But, that was a stupid request, because even if someone had forced her, there was no way Liv wasn't coming in.

He didn't know whether to love her or hate her for that.

Tony stood strong and still next to him, a reminder that he'd better shut up and stay quiet, as Trevor cracked the door open, making sure to keep his full body covered with the thick wood. Liv slipped through a second later and immediately, they locked eyes.

She took a shaky breath, almost like a sigh of relief leaving her body that he was ok. There was a small amount of blood, but he was fine and he was up and breathing normally. She would take that and it was all she needed to try and play this as smooth as possible.

"Good evening, Lieutenant. Looking lovely," Trevor waggled his eyebrows and ran his tongue over his stained teeth, "Doesn't she Ton?"

"Mhm," was all the reply he received. Liv didn't spare the large man a glance, but she did take in the dead body lying directly across from her husband, a large puddle of blood having seeped it's way over to Rafael and soaked through his socks and the edges of his pajama pants.

"I paid you a compliment. I deserve a thank you."

Liv swung her gaze to the man in front of her. She scoffed and walked past him, giving him her back in a dangerous gamble. It was an opening she wanted him to take and she was sure he would, but she needed to make sure she said all the right things.

Luckily, she'd studied rapist fucks like him for so long, it was damn near second nature to know their personality types and what made them tick.

"You don't deserve shit," she hissed.

She wound up pressed against the wall next to the window, arm twisted painfully behind her back and Trevor's body pressed against hers. She reached back with her other hand, almost as if she was reaching for her side arm that was no longer resting at her side, but he gripped her wrist and pressed it against the wall by her head.

"Hey!"

She winced as she heard Rafael's gruff protest, cut off by a loud thump and a grunt following. Liv did her best to glance back, seeing Tony had thrown him on his stomach (or he attempted to get up) and sat on his back, arm under his chin and pulling almost painfully.

"If he says another word I'll screw her right in front of him," Trevor called behind him, his tongue peeking out of his mouth to trace the shell of her ear. Liv tried to twist away from him, knowing this was what needed to happen in order to give her the best advantage over him. But that didn't mean the churning of disgust and loathing in her gut was alleviated in any way.

_C'mon Trite, c'mon Trite…_

"As long as I get a turn after you're through, I'll make sure he doesn't say another word."

Trevor chuckled against her ear, grinding his arousal against her backside. Liv breathed through her nose, eyes closed as she stopped fighting against him. The chanting of the voice in her head drowned out everything he was whispering to her.

She could practically hear Rafael struggling not to scream and fight his way out of the choke hold the large man had him in. Liv just kept chanting, eyes closed and lip trembling, feeling the need to fight back but not allowing herself to do so. Just as tears began to gather in her eyes, her chanting had finally been answered by the power company set up just down the street from their location.

A sudden soft click plunged them into silence and Liv took the opportunity to break out of the hold and spun on her heel, knocking Trevor away from her and swinging her right fist. She connected with what felt like his eye, but all could see was him stumbling back into the light where the translucent blinds seeped red and blue.

Liv launched herself at the man, fists pounding away at him as she unleashed all her anger on him, taking advantage of him being caught off guard. He heard the gasping for air and heavy, thumping footsteps coming towards her before a heavy body collided with her and knocked her to the ground where the glass from the broken coffee table lie, the air escaping her lungs.

"Fucking bitch," Trevor spit out, and growled. There was a minute of her trying to fight off the man grabbing at her, trying and failing to land a punch and just as a heavy fist busted her lip, a bright light flooded down upon them.

"You've got some balls," Trevor laughed, watching as Tony grabbed her arms and pinned them down. Liv squinted up at the light, kicking her feet and trying to somehow throw off the large man on top of her. Trevor tipped his head back, wiping the blood from his nose. Liv took some small satisfaction in that.

"Bigger than yours," she ground out, struggling against Tony's grip. He heard the large man chuckle a bit at that but his grip remained solid. Trevor cracked a smile, licking his lips as he continued to watch her struggle. Liv groaned and settled, breathing heavily as the strength began to leave her body.

"No, sweetie, I don't think so. I'd be glad to show you."

Liv bit back a smart reply, feeling like Trevor was getting more cocky with every second she was held against the floor. That's right where she wanted him when SWAT burst through the doors and turned the power back on. She wanted him to think he was going to get what he wanted, but there was no way he would. She was confident in that.

But, this situation was feeling eerily similar to one she'd been in before and her thoughts were bringing up old shit she'd rather not think of. Being bound with a cocky rapist circling above her…

Memories she thought brought up to the surface and dealt with were threatening to derail this entire process, but she was trying her best to focus on the task at hand.

"You came in here knowing damn well what was going to happen…," Trevor shifted on his feet and bent down, bringing the flash light from his phone closer to her face, blinding her and forcing to avert her gaze away. She locked eyes with Tony, who smiled down at her with a sick sort of fascinated look on his face.

"It makes me think you kinda want it, Lieutenant?"

Tony and Trevor looked at each other, "I think she wants it, Trev. Look, she won't stop moving. It's like she's begging for it."

Trevor nodded, humming as his eyes traveled down to the neckline of her shirt, which had dipped lower because of her struggling underneath Tony. He brought one of his blood-dried hands down and traced the line of the shirt, dragging along on her skin.

"Yeah…she wants it- "

Trevor's sentence was cut off as a fourth body joined the fray, knocking him to the ground, making him yelp in surprise. Tony jolted, taken aback and Liv took advantage yet again, able to lean forward as his grip loosened and she knocked him with her forehead, hard enough to make her see stars.

Tony fell off her, hands holding his nose as Liv scrambled to get up and help Rafael, who was quickly losing control of his position on top of Trevor. Liv reached them just Trevor reversed their positions and landed a few good punches to Rafael's face. She grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him off, kicking him for good measure.

"Raf," she breathed, leaning down to help him up. He struggled, groaning in pain as he got to his feet, gripping her arms. She held him, supporting his weight the best she could as she reached up to the earpiece and gave them the signal.

* * *

 "What's taking so long?"

Carisi ran a hand through his hair, pacing along the side of the street. SWAT was lined up along the brownstones, their weapons at the ready and waiting for the signal that was supposed to have already come in through Liv's earpiece.

The plan was so simple.

Cut the power, throw them off their game and call for SWAT. Taking away their sight was the best possible distraction they could provide. It offered Liv the chance to safely get to Barba without risking their lives even more in the process.

It was a simple plan and yet, Liv's voice hadn't called for them yet. Which meant something had gone wrong, or she was still smooth talking the hell out of them inside. Either way, it was putting everyone outside, waiting to hear her voice, on edge.

"Give her some time. She'll call," Fin reassured, wiping away the sweat gathering on his palm and making the handle of his side arm slippery. He couldn't have that when clearing the house. He glanced back towards the ambulance, seeing Amanda ready to join them, strapping her vest tight for the second time that night.

"Noah gone?"

"Yeah," she nodded and gestured back behind her, "Lucia just left. It took a good five minutes to calm her down before Noah saw her, but she's taking him back to her place now."

"Good. Poor guy's been through enough."

"Any word from Liv yet?"

Carisi shook his head, still pacing along the street. Amanda sighed, pushing her bangs behind her ear and bit her lip. She prayed to God what they were all thinking was going to happen actually wouldn't happen. It was hard to keep their thoughts from straying in that direction, though. She'd come so damn close to having it happened to her earlier.

"She'll pull through guys, she always does. Liv's tough."

Just as the words left Fin's mouth, Liv's breathless, panicked voice came crackling through their radio's inciting everyone into action. SWAT took their positions and did a quick countdown, making sure everyone was together.

They silently marched up the sidewalk, quick and tight. The squad was somewhere in the middle of the line, being a reasonable distance away from the front. They weren't even allowed to be in the line-up, but Dodds arrived ten minutes earlier, hastily dressed and agreed to their plea to be one of the first inside. It wasn't an odd request, seeing as how Liv was their Lieutenant and this was her family.

"Go, go, go," was chanted softly to them as they lined up in a perfect line outside of the door. They all jumped at the sudden loud sound of the battering ram shattering the wooden door and the pop of the flashbang.

* * *

 The time in between her calling for SWAT and Trevor standing up moved so quickly, it could make your head spin. Rafael had finally stood up straight, whispering her name when the lights suddenly turned back on, flooding the house and blinding them all for a moment. It distracted them, just long enough for Trevor to take the open window they unknowingly gave him.

Trevor had managed to find his footing, swinging the gun from the waist band of his pants and aiming it directly at her. Liv's breath caught in her throat, frozen in place as the first snap of the gun struck the air.

She closed her eyes, hands coming up to try and stop it. But the only thing she felt was her body being pushed harshly into the wall as four round of bullets were let loose. With horror, she realized that Rafael had hit the ground in a harsh thud, choking the scream that wanted to let loose out of her throat.

Trevor let out a primal scream and ran at her, pitching the gun in favor for the knife he'd been carrying the entire time. Liv didn't have time to duck as the knife came sailing towards her, narrowly missing her eye as she was able to jerk her head. The blade sliced across her forehead, blood immediately pouring down her face in rivulets as one of his hands wrapped around her throat.

She choked and flailed her arms, grabbing for the set of blinds that covered one of the windows and tore it away, the plastic flying about their feet. Trevor's grip tightened, cutting off her airflow completely.

"I'll see you in hell."

The words had barely left his mouth as the familiar, resounding blast of a sniper rifle shattered the window, sending Trevor flying into the glass mess and coffee table frame that loitered the rug in front of the couches.

Liv dropped to the floor, body weak from the lack of oxygen and pure terror still coursing through her body. Tony looked on in horror at Trevor's limp body, eyes wide open and staring at him. Realization dawned on Tony as he stood, but she paid him no mind.

"Liv," he choked out, voice shaky like his entire body. She watched as blood bled into the fabric of his shirt, the pale blue color turning into a shocking shade of dark red the more time slowed down.

Two bloody bullet holes in his torso and he looked so scared and vulnerable, lying on the floor of their home with two dead bodies and a fearful criminal cowering just feet away from their prone bodies.

"It'll be ok," she muttered weakly, tears seeping out of her eyes and mixing with the blood still pouring from the cut on her forehead. Rafael didn't say anything, his green eyes losing the spark and warmth they always held.

It isn't too soon after her whispered reassurance that they're both passed out on the floor, bloody and holding hands.

* * *

 "Oh God," Amanda raced over to their bodies, jumping over Trevor's body to reach Liv and Barba, both unconscious. Liv didn't seem to have any bodily injuries, other than a large cut across one side of her forehead and the bruises and split lip on her face.

However, Barba was shot, twice and she was calling for an EMT at the same time Carisi was. Fin stood off to the side, helping two officers in attempting to hold down the large, squirming accomplice so they could slap cuffs on them.

"Shit," Carisi breaths, moving over so could reach down and check Barba's pulse. He was bleeding heavily and it was taking her a while to process that this bloody figure was Rafael Barba. The sharp dressed ADA who they worked with daily. She couldn't ever remember a time seeing him with any sort of injury, let alone near death.

"Got a pulse. Where the fuck are those medics, huh?"

Carisi stood up and stomped past her, stepping into the threshold of the door and yelling for medics into the heavily crowded street. He was cursing and yelling and he looked so worried, like they all did, but it did the trick. Not a minute later did a set of EMT's come flying into the home with stretchers and medical equipment encumbered on their forms.

Amanda gladly moved out of the way, keeping a close eye on them as they diligently worked, but she couldn't help her eyes from straying towards Trevor's limp and lifeless body on the floor, a hole in the back of his skull and his eyes open but dulled.

That man had been so cocky and so sure of himself. He'd taken the lives of innocent bystanders, almost adding two more to that list (because there was no way either of them were leaving the team anytime soon), after raping and ruining the lives of countless women. Amanda scoffed and nearly spit on his dead body as she trailed behind the loaded stretchers, already intent on riding to the hospital with Liv as Carisi raced after Barba's.

She kept it to herself and instead, hurled a word at him that was just as effective.

"Asshole."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm not dead yet! I've been so damn busy lately I haven't had time to sit down and punch out any chapters, but I've finally finished the final chapter for this fic! I hope you guys think this ending is adequate! I just want to thank everyone who has enjoyed my fics, also. It makes me feel great that I'm bringing you some entertainment during hiatus! ENJOY!

Rafael woke three days later in a dimly lit hospital room and a major headache pounding away.

He looked around, bleary eyed and in so much pain it was almost unfathomable. He licked his dry lips and brought a hand up to rub his eye, noticing the IV line running up his arm and the attached to the pole next to his bed.

The top of his wife's head caught his attention next and his fingers lightly traced down the side of her face, wanting to see her face but not wanting to wake her up. If he knew his wife, she had more than likely hadn't been home and, judging by her dirty, bloody clothes and greasy hair, his guess was true.

He sighed heavily, the pounding of his headache shooting down through his teeth. He licked his lips again and trailed his eyes across the room, seeing all the usual hospital décor he'd grown familiar with over his years of hospital visits.

In the corner of the room sat an overwhelming pile of flowers, cards and balloons, half-eaten chocolate and a familiar duffel bag Liv took to the office as a back-up when she needed to hit the gym with Rollins or was pulling a double shift in the office. Someone must have packed it for her…

Maybe his mother? God, where was his son?

Rafael pressed his head back into the pillow, his fingers tangling into Liv's hair; the action took a lot of energy out of his already depleted sources. He was careful, resting his hand on her head, glad it hadn't woken her up. He wanted her to sleep, even if the position she was in wasn't the most comfortable, but he needed some time to process what he'd just been through.

It was a blur in his mind's eye, but he remembered the look on his wife's bruised face, the chaos erupting around them and the unbelievable pain inflicting every corner of his body. It all happened so fast, he couldn't even remember what he was thinking when he bum rushed that fucker that had his wife backed into a corner.

He closed his eyes against the terrified crying of his son still echoing in his head; it was a sound that wasn't going to leave him anytime soon and he hated himself for it. It was his fault to begin with, no matter what anyone was going to say.

He didn't lock the door. He didn't lock the door and look what happened because of it. His son and wife were going to be scarred from this and he was lying in a hospital bed with bullet wounds and a serious migraine. Half the NYPD had been parked outside of his home, his wife had been damn near…he didn't even want to think about it…

All because he didn't lock the fucking door...

He cursed softly to himself, partially because the pain in his head was getting worse the longer he stayed in his own head. He didn't know how long had passed before he felt Liv's head lifting off the bed, his hand sliding out of her hair. Their eyes met and everything got so suddenly still for the few seconds it took Liv to fully wake up from her sleepy haze.

"Rafi," she breathed, getting up from the chair and coming to sit by his side. She leaned down and kissed him, not giving him the chance to say anything. She pressed both of her hands to his face, inspecting him as if she hadn't had the opportunity before.

"Hey," he grinned, hands coming up to her sides. He felt the frenzy of emotions he worked through earlier start to calm at the just the feeling of her body in his hands and her lips on his skin.

"God, you scared me," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his briefly before she scattered a few kisses across his face.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days. You were in surgery for six hours…one of the bullets nearly pierced your lung," she recited back to him, like she was reading off a paper. He could feel her hands shaking as she pulled back from him and sat up, getting off the bed and putting distance between them.

He stared at her back, missing the contact and was about to ask what was wrong when she rounded on him, fury in her eyes and her body rigid and tensed. He wisely kept his mouth shut, knowing it wouldn't do him any good to try and keep her calm. She was ready to say something to him and had likely been sitting on it since he'd been out.

"You came this close to dying," she ground out, a small space left between her thumb and forefinger. Rafael didn't say anything, but he could feel the air being sucked out of the room the closer she moved to the bed. For the first time, he was a bit afraid of her. Honestly, he couldn't blame her for being that angry, though. What she had to go through out there…he couldn't imagine. It would break a weaker person.

"This close…and because you decided to be stupid."

She hissed the words at him, leaving him a bit taken aback about what she was saying.

"You took bullets for me, you idiot."

"And?"

Liv rounded on him, looking disgusted and burned, "And?! You almost died! Died, Raf! You came _this_ close to not being with us anymore because you decided to play hero at the worst possible fucking second!"

Her voice strained and broke it was so hysterical, her anger flowing out of her in waves that washed over him like ice cold water. He knew he came close. Far closer to death than he'd ever come before in his life, but he felt no regret in the way things went down. Those bullets weren't meant for either one of them, but he would be damned if he was going to stand by and let the love of his life be gunned down in front of him.

"I wasn't playing hero- "

"Oh?! Then why the fuck did you push me out of the way? I'm the cop, you're not. It's my job to protect innocent people."

"And it's my job to protect you," he pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest, straining to keep his pained moan from escaping his lips. He didn't want to give the point she was making any more strength.

"Please," she snorted and waved her had dismissively, moving hair behind her ear, "I don't need protecting. I know how to use a gun. I've been fighting off people like this for decades and you're supposed to protect me?"

"Yes," he answered immediately, giving her a look that all but dared her to try and get him to back down. She had another thing coming if she thought he was going to give-in and tell her she was right. Because she wasn't.

"Barba," her voice flattened and became firm. She only ever used the last name when she was well and truly pissed anymore, "I have half a mind to walk out of here and let you suffer for that shit you pulled."

"You won't."

"Wanna bet?"

Liv stomped towards the door and gave her his back, one hand poised over the handle. Rafael watched her, eyes soft and understanding as they both remained completely quiet. He could see her shoulders slowly deflate, sinking along with her head and he just knew those brown eyes of hers were searching the floor for something only she knew she wouldn't find.

Answers? Like why he was choosing now to be so stubborn? Her claims weren't unfounded. She had been dealing with deadly situations and criminals for so long, he truly had no extent of the shit she'd seen and been through in the time before he arrived in Manhattan.

He didn't even want to. The thought of her in any dangerous situation sent his blood pressure shooting through the roof. He had to deal with that plenty of times, before they were together and after.

"Livy."

"Don't call me that," she said, annoyed but her voice was thick and he knew she was trying not to cry. Tears stung at his eyes, burning and warm as the slipped down his cheeks and neck. He sniffled, making her turn and take in his pathetic display.

"Come here," he waved her over, wiping away some of the tears blurring his vision. Liv bit her lip, keeping her post by the door for nearly a full minute before she complied. Her shoulders were still slumped in defeat, but her feet shuffled towards him, her worn boots scuffing against the tiled floor.

He patted the spot next to him and looped an arm around her waist, forcing her to rest against his chest despite her apprehension about his wounds. He was hurting like crazy, but he would deal with it if it meant having her next to him.

"I'm sorry I put you through that. I really am. But, I won't apologize for pushing you out of the way."

"Raf…"

"No," he leaned back and caught her eyes, moving a stray strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen across her face, "Just listen to me."

She nodded, pursing her lips as she rested her face into his neck, taking deep breaths of his scent like she always did, every night before they fell asleep.

"I love you and Noah more than you could ever imagine. I would move mountains for you if I could. When I saw that gun aimed at you…I didn't even think. I just moved. And it saved you. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, no questions asked."

He pulled her even tighter, ignoring the stinging in his abdomen and his still pounding migraine. There was nothing that was going to force him to let this woman go, ever.

"You may not understand and you may be pissed at me, but you can stay pissed at me, because I won't apologize for what I did. I love you, baby."

Liv shook her head and pressed her lips to the underside of his chin, leaving her fingers to trail over the stubble on his face. They passed over his lips and he kissed them, feeling her smile against his skin.

"I hate you sometimes," she finally whispered after a few minutes of total silence. He chuckled, hands rubbing up and down her back. She shifted and sat up, kissing him and making him effectively forget about everything that had happened in the past couple of days. This incident wasn't going to ever fully leave him, not by a long shot, but at least she had the ability to make him forget for the time being.

"Where's Noah?"

"Your mom has him," she leaned against him again, playing with a loose string on the collar of the gown, "She was here all day yesterday with him. He kept wanting to wake you up and I had to keep telling him that he couldn't and he was a crying mess…eventually she took him home around dinner time."

"I want to see him…is he ok?"

Liv knew what he was talking about if the sad smile she gave him meant anything, "I think he is. I talked to him about it yesterday…but I think when he sees you he'll feel a lot better. All he could talk about yesterday was his daddy."

Rafael laughed and rubbed at his eyes, wincing at the intensifying pain. Liv took notice and hit the call nurse button on the side of his face. They probably should have notified a doctor when he first woke up, but priorities needed to be taken care of first.

"I'm going to call Lucia…let her know you're awake."

He nodded as she left him with a parting kiss as soon as a nurse showed up to assess him. The fond smile didn't leave his face at just the thought of seeing his boy in just a few short hours.

* * *

 It was a few hours later that Noah came bursting through the door, Liv hot on his heels, trying and failing to gather his attention before he could climb up the side of the bed.

"Daddy!"

Rafael smiled and welcomed the five-year-old with open arms. He powered through the unbelievable pain that encompassed his body like fire when his little man threw his body on his torso.

"Noah, baby, be careful," Liv gently tried to pry Noah off him, but to no avail. Rafael just shook his head, forcing a wink her way. He didn't want to let go of him and Noah had no plans to do so either.

"I was so scared, daddy," Noah sniffled and Rafael noticed the hot tears spilling from the toddler's eyes and into the fabric of the hospital gown. Rafael closed his eyes and rested his nose in the soft, shaggy hair of his son's head.

Liv smiled a bit as she joined the fray, lying down next to her husband and joining his hand in rubbing comforting circles on Noah's back. She leaned down and kissed him when he looked up at her, and rested her head on top of his as he softly whispered to their son, telling him everything was going to be ok.

It was going to be ok, because they were alive and so was he. Above everything, that was what was most important to him. The child in his arms wasn't going to have to ever feel that fear again, as long as Rafael and Liv were around to keep him safe.

"I love you. I love you both, so much."

He felt Liv's lips press against his temple, her left-hand resting on his cheek as a few of her own fell through his mused hair and wet his scalp. He didn't mind, though. Noah repeated the words back to him, snuggling further into his chest. In that moment, the only thing that mattered were the two most important people in his life, cuddled into his chest and side, safe and alive.

Everything was going to be ok.


End file.
